Lock Rekey in Pasadena, CA

What does it mean to rekey locks, and when should you do it?

Rekeying means we keep your lock hardware and change what is inside the cylinder. A pin-tumbler lock works because a set of small pins sits at specific heights, and only the cut of the right key lines them up. When we rekey, we take the cylinder apart, swap in pins sized for a new key, and put it back together. The knob, deadbolt or handle set stays on the door. The old keys no longer turn it. The new keys do.

People usually call us for a rekey because they have lost track of who holds a key. You bought a house and have no idea how many copies the previous owners handed out. A tenant moved out and kept a key, or maybe did not. A set of keys went missing from a car, a gym bag or a jacket. In each case the lock itself works fine. The problem is that the key list is unknown, and rekeying resets that list to something you control.

If you searched for rekey locks near me, the short version is this: we are a real storefront company with mobile vans, and we can rekey one door or every door on a property. The rest of this page explains how we decide what is right for your situation, what changes the cost, and what to watch for in Pasadena homes and buildings.

Rekey, change the locks, or replace them: how do you choose?

Rekeying is not always the right call, and we will tell you when it is not. The deciding factor is the condition and quality of the hardware, not just the key problem you walked in with.

Rekeying makes sense when the lock turns smoothly, the latch and deadbolt line up with the strike plate, and you are happy with the hardware. It is usually the more economical route because you are paying for labor and a few parts, not new locks. Rekeying also lets us put several doors on one key, so you are not carrying a ring of different keys for the front, back and side doors.

Changing or replacing makes sense when the hardware is worn, loose, damaged, or simply not strong enough for what you want it to do. A rekey makes the old keys useless, but it does not make a weak lock stronger. If the deadbolt has a short bolt, a failing latch or a cracked body, we will say so. In that case a lock replacement is the honest answer, and our page on changing locks explains how that differs from a rekey.

• Rekey: hardware is sound, you only need to cancel old keys or consolidate keys.
• Replace: hardware is damaged, worn, loose, or below the level of protection you want.
• Upgrade: you want keyless entry or a different style, and a rekey would only delay the change.

How does a house rekey work, step by step?

A rekey is a short, quiet job when the locks are in good shape. Here is how we run it, whether we meet you at a front door or a back gate.

1. You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us what happened: new home, tenant turnover, lost keys, or something else. We ask how many locks are involved and what kind they are.
2. We look at each lock on arrival. We check the brand, confirm the cylinder can be rekeyed, and test the latch and deadbolt so we know whether anything else needs attention.
3. We explain the plan and the factors affecting cost before we start. If one lock should be replaced instead of rekeyed, we tell you which one and why.
4. We remove each cylinder, replace the pins to match a new key, and reassemble the lock. For a rekey-all job, we set every lock to the same new key unless you ask for separate keys.
5. We cut your new keys and test them in every lock, turning each one several times from both sides of the door where applicable.
6. We confirm the old key no longer works. You should see that for yourself before we leave, and we will hand you the test.

Which situations call for a rekey?

Most rekey calls fall into a handful of patterns. The details change from one door to the next, but the logic is the same: if you cannot account for every key, treat the old key as compromised.

• Rekey locks after moving: you do not know who has copies from the previous residents, agents or contractors.
• Rekey locks after buying a house: the closing handoff rarely tells you how many keys were cut over the years.
• Rekey locks after a tenant moves out: tenant turnover rekey is standard practice for landlords because a returned key does not prove no copy exists.
• Rekey locks after losing keys: if the keys left your hands and may be found by someone else, rekeying is the cleaner fix than hoping for the best.
• Rekey all house locks to one key: you want a single key for every exterior door instead of a ring of mismatched keys.
• Separation or a falling out with a roommate or ex-partner: you need a new key set that excludes them.

What about commercial and business lock rekey?

A business lock rekey follows the same mechanics, but the stakes and the key list are different. An employee leaves, a manager moves on, a vendor no longer needs after-hours access, or a lease changes hands. If you cannot say with confidence who still has a key, the locks need to be reset.

Businesses often have more complicated needs than a home does. You may want the front door on one key, the back office on another, and a storeroom on a third, with a manager key that opens everything. That is a keying plan, and we can design one. If your building needs layers of access, read about a master key system, which is built for that. For the wider picture of door hardware, closers and exit devices, see our commercial locksmith page.

One practical note: commercial doors sometimes use hardware that is not a standard residential cylinder. We check on arrival and tell you plainly if a particular device is rekeyable, needs a different approach, or should be replaced.

What affects the cost of a lock rekey in Pasadena?

We do not publish a flat figure on this page because the same phone call can describe very different jobs. What we can do is lay out exactly what moves the cost, so you can judge any quote you receive, ours included.

The first factor is the number of cylinders. A single deadbolt is a smaller job than a whole house with front, back, garage entry and side doors. The second is the type of hardware. Common residential cylinders are usually straightforward. Some higher-security, restricted-keyway or older mortise cylinders take more time or specialized parts, and a few cannot be rekeyed at all.

The third factor is timing. A scheduled daytime rekey is generally easier to plan than an urgent call in the middle of the night. The fourth is whether the locks are in good condition. If a lock is sticky, loose or damaged, fixing it may be part of the job. The fifth is how many new keys you need, and whether you want a single key across all doors or a more elaborate keying scheme. Travel is a small factor too, since Pasadena is about 23 miles from our Westwood base.

Because rekeying keeps your existing hardware, it is usually the more economical route compared with replacing every lock. We tell you the full scope and the cost drivers before work begins, so there are no surprises when we finish.

How does rekeying fit Pasadena homes, condos and storefronts?

Pasadena has an unusual mix of housing, and it shapes how we think about rekeying. Bungalow Heaven is known for Craftsman homes, and the city has numerous designated historic landmark districts where original early-1900s door hardware is still in service. In that kind of house, rekeying is often better than replacing. You keep the original knob, backplate or mortise set that gives the door its character, and you only change what the key does. We look at each piece carefully, because old hardware can be worn, and we will tell you when a particular lock is not a good candidate. If your home sits in a designated district and you are unsure about changes to exterior hardware, check with the relevant authority before you swap anything out.

Grander properties in Oak Knoll and San Rafael often have many doors, including side entries, service doors and gates. That is where a rekey-all job pays off. We can put every exterior lock on one key so the household is not managing a ring of mismatched keys.

Around Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District and the Lake Avenue area, the housing leans toward mid-rise condos and apartments, with controlled-access buildings concentrated along the Metro A Line corridor. Here the usual rekey call is tenant turnover. A unit changes hands, a lease ends, or a resident has a lockout and learns the spare key is unaccounted for. A lockout in an apartment near Old Pasadena may start as a apartment lockout call and end with a rekey, so the next person to hold the key is the one you intend. Whether the address is in 91101, 91103 or 91105, the process is the same. Building rules vary, so confirm with your property manager before work on a shared door.

Near Pasadena City College and Caltech, shared rentals tend to change hands as people come and go, and keys get copied along the way. That is a good moment to reset the locks. On the commercial side, storefronts along Colorado Boulevard and South Lake Avenue often need a rekey when staff or tenants change.

Climate matters too. Pasadena runs hotter than coastal Los Angeles in summer, with Santa Ana wind events off the San Gabriels. Sun and dryness stress wood doors, which can shift just enough that a latch or deadbolt starts to bind. The northern foothill edge also sees more wind-blown dust than the flats, and dust works its way into cylinders. Since we have the lock open during a rekey, we clean what we find and check how the door is lining up, and we will tell you if the door itself, not the lock, is the real issue.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a rekey?

We have been in business since 1987, and rekeying is one of the oldest jobs in the trade. We operate from a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, with mobile service vans that cover 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Pasadena included.

When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us, not a national call center that sells your job to whoever is available. We are one company, with no dispatch middlemen between your phone call and the person at your door. That matters on a rekey because the person doing the work should be the one who understands the hardware and the plan.

David, the owner and lead technician, oversees how we work. That does not mean he is at every door. It means there is one person responsible for the standard we hold ourselves to, and for correcting it when something falls short.

We answer the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round, so a lost-keys night or a change of plans before a move can be handled when it happens. If a rekey is not the right fix, we say so and point you to the right service instead. Our key duplication page covers extra copies, and smart lock installation covers the switch to keyless entry.

What should you ask any locksmith before a rekey?

Locksmith work is a trust business, so a few questions are fair for any company. California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, known as a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith for it, and check it yourself before you let anyone work on your doors.

Also ask who will actually come to your door, whether the company has a real address, and what the quote covers. A good answer includes the number of locks, the type of hardware and the number of keys. Be cautious of anyone who cannot explain the job, or who changes the scope once they arrive.

If you manage rental property in Pasadena, we have a page for locksmith services for landlords that covers turnover routines in more detail.

More locksmith help in Pasadena

• Change Locks in Pasadena
• Deadbolt Installation in Pasadena
• Gate Lock Repair in Pasadena
• High Security Locks in Pasadena
• Key Duplication in Pasadena
• Lock Installation in Pasadena
• All services in Pasadena

Lock Rekey near Pasadena

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